Under the Sky of Damascus

dir. Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh 2023 Denmark, Germany, USA, Syria 88 min.
2023 – Berlinale IFF, 2023 – CPH DOX: Copenhagen
A group of young Syrian women embarks upon a radical project: producing a play that details and exposes the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse in their country.

A passionate tight-knit group of young Syrian women embarks upon a radical and perhaps controversial project: producing a play that details and exposes the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has been part of the everyday lives of women in their country for generations.  But a dark incident both exemplifies and momentarily derails the project, forcing both filmmakers and the group to examine themselves and the direction the project is taking.The deeply unpleasant sense of patriarchal power keeps these women trapped without access to justice, with the stories often recounted in the film’s voice-over commentary by co-director Heba Khaled.

duration:
88 min
country / year of production:
Denmark, Germany, USA, Syria / 2023
director:
Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh
cinematography:
Raed Sandeed
production:
Sigrid Dyekjær, Talal Derki, Heba Khaled, Beth Earl / Real Lava, Jouzour Film, Rustic Canyon, Sama Art
editor:
Marion Tuor
selected festivals and awards:
2023 – Berlinale IFF, 2023 – CPH DOX: Copenhagen
tags:
psychology freedom of speech art feminism Middle East theatre relations activism